​When I heard that Kristan Higgins’ new book was coming out on January 31st, I decided—in the tradition of Tom Haverford and Donna Meagle—to treat myself. As others have noted, Higgins’ books are a mixture of romance, women’s fiction, and dramedy, and On Second Thought is no exception. I had many of the feelings when I read this book, and I was so satisfied and happy with the HEA (Happily Ever After, in romance-speak).

Like her last fabulous book,If You Only Knew, On Second Thought is told from two different perspectives: a set of sisters. Kate is a 39-year old first-time newlywed whose husband, Nathan, dies in a freak accident after they’ve only been married for 96 days. Ainsley is Kate’s half-sister, and she’s dumped by her boyfriend of 11 years after Nathan’s death convinces him that he needs to “live large.” Both set of circumstances force the two sisters together in a way that they’ve never been before and their relationship sweetly evolves throughout the book.

Higgins is a wonderful writer and I love that she often focuses on sisterhood, one of the most wonderful and sometimes complicated relationships in human existence. I also love that her female protagonists are strong, independent, and dynamic, and that, though they get their HEA, sometimes—actually a lot of times—it doesn’t look like they expected.

If you enjoy less explicit romance novels, you have an additional incentive to check out Higgins' books. The romantic factor is high in her books, though she doesn’t include the sex scenes themselves. The narrators just sufficiently hint that something really fun took place.

If you’re looking for a heart-stirring, rich book that reminds you what’s special about romantic love and sisterhood, read On Second Thought.

Perfect If You: Want to read a sweet, sweet story about all kinds of love.
Check Out: If You Only Knew (in my opinion, an even better Higgins’ read). If you’re in the mood to read romance, women’s fiction, and dramedy, you should also consider Susan Elizabeth Phillips (try First Star I See Tonight) and Marisa de los Santos’ ThePrecious One.